Flexible workplace schedule reduces work-family conflict

(From Daily News & Analysis) -- A workplace environment that allows employees to change when and where they work, based on their individual needs and job responsibilities, positively affects the work-family interface, according to a new research from the University of Minnesota.

University of Minnesota sociology professors Erin Kelly and Phyllis Moen base their findings on data from surveys of more than 600 employees and company records from Minnesota-based Best Buy before and after the implementation of a so-called "Results Only Work Environment" (ROWE) workplace initiative.

ROWE redirected the focus of employees and managers towards measurable results and away from a set work schedule and location. Employees could routinely change when and where they worked without seeking permission from a manager or even notifying one. Moen and Kelly examined whether the initiative affects work-family conflict, whether schedule control plays a role in these effects, and whether work demands (including long hours) moderate the initiative's effects on work-family outcomes.

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